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Private company

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology

Logo: Advanced Gravis Computer Technology/ACCO Brands, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Canadian computer component manufacturer

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology, Ltd. was a manufacturer of computer peripherals and hardware. The company was founded in 1982 in British Columbia, Canada. Their most famous products were the Gravis PC GamePad, at one time one of the most popular gaming controllers for the PC, the once-ubiquitous Gravis Joystick (black with red buttons), and the Gravis UltraSound add-on card, competitor to the Sound Blaster.2 It is part of Kensington Computer Products Group.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1982Founded1

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Gravis Destroyer PC gamepad c 2000 (iii)
Photo: Multicherry, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology, Ltd. was a manufacturer of computer peripherals and hardware. The company was founded in 1982 in British Columbia, Canada.2

Corporate structure

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology is part of a group headed by ACCO Brands. 46 entities, 21 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • ACCO Brands Lake Zurich, Illinois, United States
    • Esselte Uxbridge, United Kingdom
    • Kensington Computer Products Group California
      • Advanced Gravis Computer Technology
    • Swingline Subsidiary · Lincolnshire
    • ACCO Asia Limited Subsidiary · Hong Kong
    • ACCO Brands Australia Holding Pty. Ltd. Subsidiary · Australia
    • ACCO BRANDS AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED Subsidiary · Sydney, Australia
    • ACCO BRANDS BENELUX B.V. Subsidiary · Gxwoerden, Netherlands
    • ACCO Brands Brasil Ltda. Subsidiary · Brazil
    • ACCO Brands C&OP Inc. Subsidiary · Canada
    • ACCO Brands Canada Holdings Ltd. Subsidiary · Canada
    • ACCO Brands Canada LP Subsidiary · Canada
    • ACCO BRANDS EUROPE HOLDING LP Subsidiary · Aylesbury, United Kingdom
    • ACCO BRANDS EUROPE LIMITED Subsidiary · Aylesbury, United Kingdom
    • ACCO Brands France SAS (SASU) Subsidiary · France
    • ACCO Brands International, Inc. Subsidiary · Delaware, United States
    • ACCO Brands Japan K.K. Subsidiary · Japan
    • ACCO Brands New Zealand Limited Subsidiary · New Zealand
    • ACCO Brands Portuguesa Lda Subsidiary · Portugal
    • ACCO Brands USA LLC Subsidiary · Delaware, United States
    • ACCO Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG Subsidiary · Germany
    • ACCO Europe Finance Holdings, LLC Subsidiary · Delaware, United States
    • ACCO Europe Limited Subsidiary · United Kingdom
    • ACCO International Holdings, Inc. Subsidiary · Delaware, United States
    • ACCO Mexicana S.A. de C.V. Subsidiary · Mexico
    • ACCO Nederland Holding BV Subsidiary · Netherlands
    • and 17 more

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 of annual reports filed with the SEC; subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

Products and brands

  • computer hardware
  • software

Listed on Wikidata.1

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Advanced Gravis expanded its portfolio to include gamepads compatible with home consoles like the NES and PC platforms. Their four-button Gravis GamePad launched in 1991 was considered an essential controller for PC gamers. The product lineup evolved over time, including models such as the Phoenix (1994), Firebird (1996), and Blackhawk (1997).

Gravis also experimented with advanced input protocols. In 2000, the company partnered with Immersion Corp. to integrate ARC motor feedback into peripherals. This innovation used digital signals over traditional 15-pin analogue ports, enhancing button capacity and axis precision.

One of their early joystick models, the MK VI, released in 1986, featured a pistol-grip design, tension control, and three independent fire buttons, demonstrating Gravis's commitment to ergonomic and customizable input. Later USB-compatible products like the GamePad Pro USB (2001) and Eliminator series extended Gravis's relevance well into the 2000s before the brand eventually phased out.

From Wikipedia’s article on Advanced Gravis, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1997Acquired Acquired by Kensington Computer Products Group1
  2. 1982Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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